Welcome to the Business Plus Newsletter!

April 2022

2022 First Quarter Meeting

Talent Pipeline: Students

The Business Plus Board held its First Quarter Meeting on March 31st with a panel discussion about bringing students into the workforce. The team supporting Mini-Cassia's Student to Registered Apprentice Program (STRAP) and the Cassia Career Technical Education (CTE) were featured. Our goal was to inform businesses about working with educators to help students find opportunities and to help educators connect with business leaders.

The Times-News covered our event with its April 1, 2022 article The talent pipeline: How industries can successfully recruit younger generations.

Thank you to our meeting sponsors KeyBank, Packaging Specialties of Idaho, PMT and WATCO.

Panelists and Other Resources

Please contact any of our panelists and other resources with questions or requests.

Debbie Critchfield, Communications Officer

Cassia County School District

cridebbi@cassiaschools.org

208-878-6623 ext.116

Chet Jeppesen, Workforce Consultant

Idaho Department of Labor

chet.jeppesen@labor.idaho.gov

208-678-5518 ext. 3109

Curtis Richins, Director

Cassia Regional Technical Center

riccurti@cassiaschools.org

208-878-6610

Jessica Lynn, College & Career Counselor

Burley High School

lynjessii@cassiaschools.org

208-878-6606

Brooke Claridge, College & Career Counselor

Minico High School

bclaridge@minidokaschools.org

208-436-5355 ext. 3168

Crystal Padron, Early College Coordinator

College of Southern Idaho

Mini-Cassia Center

cpadron@csi.edu

208-732-6889

Janet Pretti, Senior Director

CSI Workforce Development and Training

jpretti@csi.edu

208-732-6327

Wendi Secrist, Executive Director

Idaho Workforce Development Council

wendi.secrist@wdc.idaho.gov

208-488-7561

Watch this video from CSI Workforce Development about the Student to Registered Apprenticeship Program (STRAP)

Thank you STRAP graduate Sebastian Juarez and

Apprenticeship Program Instructor Tory Bailey from High Desert Milk,

for being part of our presentation.

Students meet with Business Plus

In addition to our Quarterly Meeting, we had the opportunity for four Business Plus investors to meet with Cassia High School's Latinos in Action to educate students about jobs available to them. Thank you Cassia Regional Hospital, Goode Motor, McCain Foods and PCA for taking the time to share information about your companies with students.

Times-News reporter Laurie Welch included this discussion in her April 10, 2022 story More jobs than workers: Businesses cope with tight labor market. This article shares important insights about our Southern Idaho labor market.

COMPANY OPPORTUNITY: If your company would like to present to Minidoka or Cassia High School students, contact Jessica Lynn at Burley High School, or Sara Duncan at Minico High School.

Join our Leaders!

Network with the most influential leaders in the valley while growing your business and the local economy. Business Plus leverages growth by focusing on economic activity that results in job creation and talent attraction. We support a strong regional workforce, employment security and diversity.

Business Plus is a unique network of local business leaders that are solely committed to growing business in the Magic Valley. Join our leaders now!

Rebecca Wildman, Executive Director

www.BusinessPlusInc.org

208-539-6470

Learn More!

Idaho LAUNCH Workforce Survey

The Idaho Workforce Development Council is asking every Idaho employer, regardless of industry, location and size, to respond to the Idaho LAUNCH Employer Workforce Survey. This survey will help Idaho provide financial support and access to workforce training.

Please complete the survey by Friday, May 6, 2022.

For more information see Idaho Launch, or contact the Idaho Workforce Development Council.

Idaho Department of Labor Calendar

The Idaho Department of Labor's Event Calendar includes upcoming workshops and hiring events. Information is searchable and can filter for Southern Idaho. Upcoming hiring events include:

April 28: Manufacturing and Food Processing Event, Jerome

May 19: Women in Industry Event, Twin Falls

June 23: Healthcare Employer Event, Twin Falls

Next Steps Idaho Connections

Next Steps Idaho Connections, powered by Nepris, builds a bridge between education and the world of work. Nepris is a leader in learn-to-work ecosystems. Their platform allows any student at a contracted school to connect “live” with industry experts: locally, across the state, regionally, or nationally. Business and education leaders have negotiated a statewide discount for Idaho schools to use Next Steps Idaho Connections.

Check Presentations - Thank you!

D.L. Evans Bank

L-R: John Evans Jr., Jim Evans, Dan Lloyd, Mary Francis Small and Rebecca Wildman

Petersen Brothers Construction

L-R: Jeremy Petersen and Rebecca Wildman

Economic News and Reports

Zions Bank Spring Economic & Market Outlook

Thank you New and Renewing Investors!

Campaign Investors

PLATINUM

First Federal*

Blue Cross of Idaho

D.L. Evans Bank*

Idaho Central Credit Union

KMVT*+

Project Mutual Telephone (PMT)*

Times-News/Amplified Digital Agency*+

GOLD

Clif Bar

Cooper Norman, CPAs*

Dairy West

Idaho Dairymen's Association

Idaho National Lab (INL)*

Idaho Power*

Intermountain Gas Company*

McCain Foods

St. Luke's*

Woodbury Corporation - Magic Valley Mall,

Target, Best Buy & Dick's Shopping Centers

SILVER

American Real Estate and Appraisal*

Atlas Technical Consultants

Crossroads Point

Dot Foods

EHM Engineers, Inc.*

Farmers Bank*

Mr. Gas*

NOVOLEX / Hilex Poly

Oasis Stop 'N Go / Travelers' Oasis*

PBC Petersen Brothers Construction

PCA Packaging Corporation of America*

Starr Corporation*

TitleOne*

United Electric Co-op, Inc.*

Watkins Distributing*

WillTran, Inc.

BRONZE

Balanced Rock Insurance

BBSI

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Idaho

Homes & Properties

Best Western Burley Inn

Blue Lakes Inn / Snake River Pool & Spa

Cassia Regional Hospital - Intermountain Healthcare*

Collins Connection - Kent & Cindy Collins

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices*

Con Paulos Chevrolet

Desert Creative Group

First American Title Company*

Goode Motor Auto Group

Ireland Bank

K&T Steel Corp*

Lytle Signs*

MAGIC Electric, Plumbing, Heating + Air

McKinlay Klundt Appraisal Co.

Minidoka Memorial Hospital

North Canyon Medical Center

Nu-Vu Glass

Safari Hospitality - Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn

Express & Suites, Quality Inn and Suites

SimplicIT

Snake River Pool & Spa

True West Beef

Titlefact, Inc.*

Ward Orthodontics

Westfall & Westfall CPAs / Impact Athletic

Club*

Wills Toyota*

Zions Bank*

COMMUNITY

Family Health Services

Gem State Welders Supply*

Moss Greenhouses

New Energy One, LLC

New Leaf Properties

Oregon Trail RV Park

Sparklight

Stevens Pierce & Associates CPAs*

Stratus Communications, LLC

WATCO (Eastern Idaho Railroad)*

Window Welder NEW!

LEGACY LEADERS

Rep. Maxine Bell (retired)

Doug Brown

Cindy Collins

Rep. Lance Clow

Jeff Harris

Rep. Linda Hartgen, and in memory of

Stephen Hartgen

Alan Horner

Dave McAlindin

Gary Nelson

Dan Olmstead

Mayor Ruth Pierce

Jan Rogers

Doug Vollmer

Lee Wagner

Deb Wilson

John Wright

IN-KIND SUPPORT

(past 3 years)

BBSI

Best Western Burley Inn

Darigold

Idaho Central Credit Union

KeyBank

Mr. Gas

Nu-Vu Glass

Packaging Specialties of Idaho

PCA Packaging Corporation of America

PerforMix Nutrition Systems

PMT

Minidoka Memorial Hospital

Mountain West Realty

Oregon Trail RV

Soran Restaurants, Inc.

Starr Corporation

Stone House & Co.

Stratus Communications

TOK Commercial

Watkins Distributing

WATCO (Eastern Idaho Railroad)

WillTran, Inc.

*Indicates 10+ years of support since 2003

+includes additional promotional investment

Our Mission:

Private Investors Growing Southern Idaho's Economy

Our Vision:

Strong Partnerships Supporting a Vibrant Regional Economy